Share this checklist
Share this with your household, neighborhood group, CERT team, or preparedness group so everyone has the same quick scan before travel or changing conditions.
Preparedness checklist
5-minute situational awareness checklist
Use this quick scan each morning, before travel, or when conditions start changing. HazardNow can help organize public signals, but official local instructions should always guide urgent decisions.
Printable checklist
Morning or pre-travel scan
- 1□
Official alerts
Check local emergency management, NWS alerts, evacuation notices, road closures, and agency updates first.
- 2□
Weather forecast/radar
Look for watches, warnings, timing, rainfall, wind, heat, cold, and conditions that could affect your route.
- 3□
Wildfire, smoke, and AQI
Scan smoke, air-quality conditions, fire weather, and any local health or evacuation guidance.
- 4□
Power outages/grid stress
Check whether outages, peak demand, or grid constraints could affect charging, cooling, heating, medical devices, or work.
- 5□
Fuel and transportation
Review airport delays, major travel disruption, fuel supply context, and whether alternate routes or timing make sense.
- 6□
Internet/communications
Note cyber, internet, cell-network, or space-weather signals that could affect payments, navigation, work, or family contact plans.
- 7□
Local official instructions
Before acting, verify what local authorities, utilities, transportation agencies, and public safety officials are telling people to do.
- 8□
HazardNow dashboard
Open the HazardNow dashboard at hazardnow.com/dashboard to keep public hazard, infrastructure, and transportation signals in one scan.
Important disclaimer
HazardNow is informational only. It is not an official warning system, emergency alert provider, evacuation authority, or replacement for local agencies. Follow official instructions for protective actions, evacuation, closures, restoration, and medical decisions.